23rd December

The Lek was first introduced in Albania in February 1926. Before then Albania did not have a currency; the country only used gold commercially.

The Albanian 1 Lek Coin

The ‘Lek’ is named after Alexander the Great whose name in Albanian is shortened to ‘Leka’ and his portrait featured on the obverse of the first Lek coin.

The obverse of the 1996-2008 1 Lek coin features the denomination above two traditional olive branches.

The reverse features the Dalmatian Pelican, also known as the Curly Pelican, which is the world’s largest freshwater bird and the best known species of wildlife in Albania. The biggest single remaining colony of the Dalmatian Pelican is at Small Prespa Lake, shared between Albania and Greece.